The Unrequited Love Cliche
by LoVeDoNtHaTe
Summary: A cliche love story about best friends and flatmates and unrequited love. Oh, and lots of relationship drama. Fluffy and out of character for some. Read and Review! Redone in chapter form!
1. Roommates

_disclaimer: J.K. Rowling alone owns Harry Potter and the characters_

_A/N: I'm redoing this story just to put it into chapter form. It was too long as a one-shot. If you read it before, enjoy again! If not, I hope you like it! Now, onto the story! _

Truth or dare had become Hermione Granger's least favourite game. It was all they played on their monthly get-togethers, she and her friends, and she had, several times, pointed out to them that adults at their age of twenty-four and older shouldn't play such childish games. But of course, they didn't listen to her.

So here she was, playing truth or dare for the twenty-seven millionth time at the Hog's Head, drinking butterbeer because she wanted to go home sober as always.

"Truth or dare, Hermione?" Harry asked.

"Truth," she answered with a sigh.

"Why don't you live with your boyfriend? You've been going out for five years."

Hermione sighed again. "You ask this question a lot."

Harry grinned. "I know, but it's nice to know why again and again." Yes, he was drunk.

Ron glared at him.

"Ron and I just decided it was better this way. We all roomed together after the war and it's just nice to leave it this way. It was just too much of a hassle to move about."

"Thanks for asking that question again, Harry," Ron snapped. It was obviously a touchy subject for her on and off boyfriend of three years and eleven months, to be exact. "Malfoy, truth or dare?"

Draco Malfoy, their former nemesis, just shook his head. "I'm in no mood for this game," he replied, sulking with his Firewhiskey near the hearth. His light hair covered his eyes as he sipped from his mug, brooding.

"He's no fun," Ginny said.

"Truth or dare, Gin?" Ron asked, and she blinked.

"I'm not feeling up for this game," his sister sighed.

Ron frowned at her. "Nobody wants to play when it's _my_ turn," he grumbled, and leant back into his chair with his drink.

"Merlin, I'm tired. I'm going home, guys," Hermione said, yawning. "I've got work tomorrow. You coming Malfoy?"

Draco looked up and stood. "Sure. Goodnight guys."

Hermione smiled. "Bye Ginny! Bye everyone." She went to Ron and gave him a kiss. "Bye Ron."

Seamus chuckled. "He sure gets a special goodbye," Seamus noted.

"Of course," Harry spoke for Ron, "he's her boyfriend."

"God forbid we forget that," Dean replied with a smirk.

"Well anyway, goodnight," Hermione said, rolling her eyes, and grabbed Draco's arm as they went outside. "Gods, why do we always have to play that stupid game? Harry always asks the same questions and it's gotten boring."

"I agree," Draco said with a sigh. "Personally, I think these get-togethers are unnecessary. I mean, we see each other all the time anyway, and we're all roommates with each other too."

Hermione just sighed. "Poor Ron. I should've roomed with him at the end of the war."

"Why?"

"I mean, he's hurt that I didn't want to trade roommates when we started dating."

"You just wanted me," Draco said cheekily, and she chuckled.

"Right. I'm like every other girl who wants Draco Malfoy."

Draco smiled. "I'm glad you're not."

"But anyway, we had become such good friends already, it seemed more of a hassle to switch roommates already. And…I don't want to live with him anyway."

"I knew it. You love me," Draco teased, and Hermione rolled her eyes.

"Of course I do."

Draco grinned and put an arm around her. "Now that that's settled, why aren't we Apparating?"

"Don't ask me."

Draco rolled his eyes and Apparated them to their two-bedroom flat. Once inside, Hermione dropped her purse on the kitchen counter and set the kettle for tea. "You want some?" she called out, and Draco, lounging on the couch in the living room, responded in the affirmative.

Their lives were comfortable. They had lived like this since the war had ended seven years ago. Hermione had had her own flat after Ginny had married and moved in with Harry, and when Draco Malfoy, former nemesis of all of them, had come crawling for forgiveness and a place to stay, Hermione had been the only one willing to take him in. In a short time, they had become good friends, best friends even, and she'd been unwilling to part with him when Ron asked her to move in with him after a year or so of dating. "I know Ron and I are going to get into lots of rows if we live together too soon," she had told Draco later that evening. "I want us to mature and grow together before we move in together."

That ended that, and now they had lived nearly six years together, though it seemed as though they had always lived this way.

"Tea ready?" Draco called out.

"Yes, come get it," she replied.

"I'm comfortable here. Bring it here."

"Draco, you know I don't want drinks in the living room. Come here."

"We can have snacks and water here, but no food and drinks?" Draco complained, but complied to her request anyway.

He sat at the counter, sipping his tea, and Hermione took a long sip of hers, letting out a sigh as she put the cup down.

"I don't understand why Harry always has to bring up the fact that Ron and I don't live together. He knows Ron's a bit touchy about it."

"I think he wants Weasley to bash my face in one of these days out of jealousy."

"Draco!"

He chuckled. "You know he will. He's probably the most jealous person on this planet." Draco raised his eyebrows. "Lucky you."

Hermione rolled her eyes. "He's not that jealous. He knows you and I are just friends."

"Come on. You know he's at least asked you several times if we're more than that."

Hermione shrugged, looking into the liquid contents of her cup. "Maybe a few times," she murmured, and Draco smirked triumphantly.

"My point exactly."

"He wouldn't bash your face in, though. You two are friends enough as well."

"Better tell him that."

"Malfoy, sometimes you are absolutely impossible to."

Draco just smiled at her as she drank her tea.

"Well anyway, I should be going to bed. I do have work tomorrow."

"I know."

"So do you! Get some sleep, Malfoy."

Draco grinned. "I will, Granger. Goodnight."

"Goodnight."

Hermione grinned at him before disappearing behind her bedroom door. Draco sat at the counter, looking at her door for a while, thinking about the girl behind it.

_A/N: Thank you for reading! I'll try to update weekly. Please review! And don't worry, there'll be some drama in the next chapter!_


	2. The Scandal

The mornings before work always began the same way. Hermione rushed out of her room at exactly seven o' clock. Draco was already sitting at the counter drinking his morning coffee, and Hermione bustled about, looking for a piece of parchment.

"Hey Granger, I've got a question for you," he said, turning to look at her. "If you were pissed out of your meticulous mind at the pub with only the blokes, who would you go for?"

"Why do you have to ask me these questions every morning when I have work?"

"Because I never run out of them," he replied.

"I'd go for Ron, of course." She disappeared into the living room, and Draco followed her.

"If Weasley wasn't there, then who'd you go for?"

Hermione just shook her head and went back to her room, still searching. Draco eyed the hidden parchment.

"It's a silly question, but it'd be a toss-up between you and Harry I guess."

Draco frowned. "Me and him? Really? Merlin, how low can you go?"

"Don't start, Draco, really. I'm late for work already as it is!"

"I'm in the running against _Potter_?"

"Do you know where the last five-foot parchment I had went?"

Draco grabbed it gallantly from under the coffee table. "I don't know how it got wedged in there," he told her, smiling suspiciously as he handed it to her, and Hermione smiled back obliviously and packed it all into her book bag.

"Strange things are always happening in our flat. See you Draco." She kissed him on the cheek and was out the door.

"Have a good day!" he called after her, smiling. He unconsciously touched his cheek.

After the war, she had been the only one willing to take him in. It took a few days to get him settled in, a few weeks to get used to him, and a few months to get him a job at the nearby hospital. After a year or two, few people thought of him as Lucius Malfoy's Death eater son that had nearly killed Dumbledore, but began to see him as a successful young Healer who seemed to have a gifted touch. The girls all saw him as the six foot one, handsome, gifted Healer, and considered his unfortunate past romantic. It nauseated Hermione how much Draco seemed to relish it, but she supposed it was because he'd never really received that much positive attention before. However, no matter how much attention he got at work, no matter how large his ego became, he always came home with a different humble tale for Hermione, and that pleased her enough to continue to live with him. It was rare he'd come home plastered, drunk out of his mind, to which Hermione would presume it was because of a lost patient. He was quite sensitive sometimes.

Tonight was one of those nights when he knocking on the door very late at night because he was unable to Disapparate.

Hermione opened the door, already knowing who was there, and helped Draco wordlessly to the couch. "What happened?" she asked once they were seated.

Draco just shook his head, his nose oddly stuffed and his eyes watery. "I don't want to talk about it."

Hermione just bit her lip and nodded. By nature, she was a nosy and inquisitive person, but she knew now was just not the time. She'd find out in the morning. And in the morning, Draco would tell her marvelous stories, some that Hermione found really hard to believe.

"I think you'd do much better as a story-teller than a Healer," she said, sitting comfortably at the counter. She had no work today, so she felt very relaxed and talkative at the moment.

"I think so too," Draco replied, nursing his hangover with coffee. "But can you imagine the pay with that? Five dollars an hour at some bookshop."

Hermione laughed. "Five dollars? That's a lot!"

"Not enough to live on." Draco smiled.

"Well then, I see why you wouldn't want to take that job."

"I'm glad you see it my way."

Hermione grinned again. "Didn't you say you had to go somewhere?"

"Oh, yeah. I had to go pick up something at the Three Broomsticks."

"I have to go buy my mum a birthday present too."

"Well then, let's go down together, shall we?"

Hermione finished off her coffee and put it in the sink. "Sure. Let me just grab my purse and let's go!"

Draco Apparated them to Hogsmeade in a moment, and Hermione gasped. "I need to go pick up some quills!" she exclaimed. "I forgot. I had to order some more for work and the package came in yesterday evening. After you pick up your thing, meet me at Scrivenshaft's Quill Shop," she said with a smile, and rushed off. Draco chuckled to himself. She was such a busybody.

He walked briskly to the Three Broomsticks, eager to go shop with his best friend, and entered the crowded inn. Squeezing past a few dozen people, he arrived at the bar and picked up the butterbeer recipe he had been meaning to get for Hermione for weeks. Madam Rosmerta, the beautiful innkeeper, made the most amazing butterbeer, and Hermione had wanted the recipe for months and months. It was Draco's surprise for her upcoming birthday, and he knew she would love it. It had taken him weeks to convince Madam Rosmerta, but he had succeeded in getting it, with a price, of course.

"I'll see you in here making some butterbeer for the next few days, Mr. Malfoy?" Madam Rosmerta said with a sly smile, and Draco nodded, dropping three golden Galleons into her hand and taking the folded parchment from her.

"I'll be here tomorrow. Thank you," he replied, dreading it a little inside. Brewing liquids was one thing, but to do the same thing for long hours would be so tedious. Draco nodded at the innkeeper before turning around to exit when a flash of red caught his eye. Turning his eyes to a booth in a secluded corner, his grey eyes widened in shock, and he felt his stomach drop.

Weasley and Brown, snogging. Snogging!

Draco felt overwhelmed right at that moment. Hermione's unmistakable Ronald Weasley was snogging Lavender Brown. In public, too! He watched as they broke apart, and Ron looked around quickly before whispering something to her and getting up. Ron walked up the stairs, probably to a room, and, a few minutes after he had disappeared, Lavender Brown followed him up, trying very hard to keep from smiling and blushing. Draco felt like he was going to be sick.

Rushing out of the suddenly stuffy inn, he broke out to the outdoors and took a deep breath of crisp September air. Gathering his wits, he contemplated on his choices. One: he could tell Hermione what he'd seen and break her heart; two: he could keep it a secret and never tell a soul; three: he could beat the bloody weasel to a pulp and make sure Hermione didn't catch a scent of it.

The third option sounded very, very appealing, but he'd never be able to keep that a secret from Hermione. Option two was the best he could think of. He couldn't tell Hermione and break her heart. Her broken heart would break his. He really didn't feel like shopping anymore.

A peppy Hermione met him at Scrivenshaft's Quill Shop, blissfully unaware that her boyfriend was, at the moment, shagging the only girl whose name consisted only of colours. "Draco, they have the new gold tipped quills! Look! Isn't it beautiful?" she exclaimed, waving a gold-tipped feather in his face. "It writes like a dream! But it's so expensive."

Draco just nodded, in his own little world. "Good, good," he muttered absently. She was still chattering on and on about the quill, and Draco was feeling more and more uncomfortable in her presence. Knowing that her boyfriend had done something unforgivable was just…despicable. How could he cheat on lovable Hermione Granger?

"Let's go on, Draco," she said, breaking him out of his reverie. He snapped to, and nodded and followed her out.

"Did you buy the quill?" he asked, trying to distract himself.

"No. I told you, it was too expensive," she replied, wrapping her scarf tighter around her neck.

Draco gazed down at her. How could Weasley cheat on her? How could he not be happy with her?

"Let's go in here, Draco," she said suddenly, grabbing his arm. She pulled him into Madam Maxim's Jewelry Shop. "My mum'll love a necklace, or earrings."

Draco just nodded, looking uncomfortable. "And after this, we get a bite to eat and head back home."

Hermione sighed. "Fine, fine."

She began browsing, and found the perfect necklace when something else caught her eye. She gasped and stared through the glass at the prettiest opal ring she'd ever seen.

The band was real silver and thin, and the opal was the lightest shade of pink. She'd never seen something so beautiful…or so expensive.

"Find something you like?" Draco asked from behind her, and she turned and nodded.

"Yeah. This opal ring. It's beautiful." She sighed again. "And bloody expensive. Five hundred Galleons for one little gorgeous ring. Merlin." She sighed once again.

"Excuse me, can we see this opal ring here?" Draco asked, and Hermione gasped.

"There is no way you're buying this for me!" she exclaimed indignantly.

"I'm not," Draco said, looking surprised. "Just try it on once and see how it is."

Hermione sighed and accepted the ring when the witch handed it to her to try on. She put it on her ring finger and smiled brightly. It was absolutely beautiful, and it fit perfectly. She admired it for a long time, till the employee finally had to take it back. Hermione bought her mother's necklace and as they walked out, she sighed.

"Merlin, that ring was beautiful."

Draco chuckled. "There'll be more of those in the future," he said.

"I suppose you're right."

Draco looked at her with a smile and looked down at her hand. Right now, he wanted to forget about stupid Weasley and enjoy his afternoon with Hermione. He didn't want him interrupting his time with her. Before he knew it, Draco was holding her hand as they walked down the sidewalk in the frosty air, and she wasn't protesting. His heart was singing. Neither saw the shadow of a person take a sneaky photograph behind them.

After the jewelry store, they did get a bite to eat, but they stayed to shop for three more hours before retreating back to their flat. By that time, Draco never wanted to go shopping with Hermione ever again.

"It was fun!" Hermione said with a smile, flinging her purse and purchases onto their wooden coffee table, and Draco just groaned.

"Stop being such a girl!"

Hermione just laughed at him. "Then what do you want me to be? A wizard?"

Draco rolled his eyes and flopped onto the couch. "Yes, Hermione, I want you to be a wizard."

Hermione sighed and sat down on the couch next to his feet. "Unfortunately, that's the one thing I cannot do."

"You mean, 'fortunately'," Draco corrected, and Hermione smirked at him.

"I mean _unfortunately_."

Draco appraised her with his grey eyes. "You mean _fortunately_!" He pounced on her with lightening speed and began tickling her mercilessly. Hermione laughed until she couldn't breathe, gasping for air and laughing some more against her will. "Say it!" Draco exclaimed.

"Okay, okay!" she squealed. "I mean fortunately!"

Draco laughed and stopped the torture. When he turned around to go back to his seat, Hermione pounced on his back and covered his eyes. "Hey! Stop that!" he said, trying to get her off, and Hermione laughed.

"Nope! This is my revenge!"

"You Muggle!"

"You egomaniac!"

"Clean freak!"

"Pig!"

"Nerd!"

"Wanker!"

"Prat!"

"Git!"

"Long-molared Muggle!"

"Ferret!"

By this time, they were laughing, and Draco had opened his mouth to throw back another good-natured insult when the fireplace lit up, indicating that someone had arrived. Hermione, still on Draco's back, turned her head to see the intruder, and gasped.

"Ron!" she exclaimed, scrambling to get off her friend. "Why are you here?" Draco stood solemnly by Hermione as she straightened her clothes, his hands in his pockets and trying very hard not to glare at the weasel.

"I can't spontaneously visit my girlfriend?" Ron snapped, his ears an alarming shade of red. "I come and I find you two romping away here by yourselves? I can't imagine what you would've done if I hadn't come!"

Words were threatening to spill out of Draco's mouth, but he composed himself rapidly, choosing to think of something else entirely and putting the thought of Weasley cheating in the back of his mind.

"We would've exchanged more insults, I would have kicked him away, and that would have been the end of it, Ron! Nothing has ever happened."

Ron just stared at her in disgust and disbelief. "Don't you tell me nothing happened! I just saw you!" he yelled. His face was beginning to match his ears.

"If I said nothing happened, nothing happened, Ronald!" she yelled back. "What is wrong with you today? You should be able to trust me enough to believe me!"

"Well flirt as much as you want! Just pretend I was never here!" Ron blubbered back, and Hermione yelled his name as he disappeared into the green flames once again.

"RONALD!" Hermione screamed, and screeched into her hands. "I can't stand his jealousy!" She turned to Draco, fuming. "What the hell is his problem? We weren't even doing anything!"

Draco sighed and sat on the couch, putting his face into his hands. Sometimes Hermione's relationship with Weasley drove him crazy. "Calm down, Hermione," he said weakly, already knowing she wasn't going to listen to him.

"He gets mad for the stupidest things! I mean, we're friends and nothing more! And he knows that!" Draco's spirits sank further. "I don't understand why he always has to be such an arse about it!"

Draco just nodded and leant back against the couch and nodded absentmindedly. "Right."

"I can't believe he'd do that to me again! I mean, how many times has he accused me of this? He is such a jealous pig! I don't know why I still go out with him!"

"Break up with him then."

"But I can't break up with him though. I mean, I love him still, even though he drives me insane!"

Draco pursed his lips and nodded.

Hermione sighed heavily. "I need to go find him."

Draco just nodded again and suddenly stood up, grabbing his coat and pocketing his wand. "I'm going out."

Hermione frowned. "Where are you going now?"

"Nowhere," he replied stonily, and vanished out the door. Hermione just sighed and grabbed her coat, disappearing into the Floo.

_A/N: and the drama begins! don't forget to review, and thanks for reading! _


	3. I Mean It Drunk

Three hours later, Hermione and Ron had made up after a loud verbal battle and with lots of misunderstandings, but it had succeeded in getting him to take her out to dinner to make it up to her for his rash temper…again.

At nine, they were back at her flat, and Draco still hadn't come home. Hermione was a little worried, but Ron was taking up a lot of her attention right now, especially with his stupid jokes. After laughing at hopefully his last joke for the night, Ron put his arm around her and sighed.

"Ron, I hate fighting with you," she confessed after a moment, and Ron sighed as well.

"I'm sorry. I know my jealousy gets overwhelming sometimes, but I can't help it."

Hermione just kissed him on the cheek and smiled, putting her head on his shoulder. "I know." Sighing again, she stood. "I'm going to go the loo. You won't get jealous that I spend more time with the toilet than with you, will you?" she asked, and Ron rolled his eyes good-naturedly.

"If I break down the door, you'll have your answer." He grinned and Hermione laughed before leaving.

After doing her business, she came out to see Draco sitting on the couch instead of her boyfriend.

"Where's Ron?" she asked quizzically. Draco looked at her, his eyes trailing down the length of her pretty dress she had changed into for the date Ron had taken her on earlier.

"I showed him out," he told her, slurring a little. Hermione frowned.

A drunk Draco was always a blabbering Draco, and it was times like these that Hermione learnt most about him. He hadn't even had work today, so she had no idea why he was intoxicated. She sat down on the couch with him, and he rested his head against hers.

"Why are you drunk?" she asked gently. As she had learnt in the past, his drunken self needed comfort. He only ever got this intoxicated when he was depressed or miserable or feeling alone.

Draco just replied with a shrug. "You went out with Weasley."

"I did. And that makes you sad?"

He just scoffed. "I'm never sad." He hiccoughed.

"Why are you sad?" She turned her head to look at his eyes, and he stared back. Draco pursed his lips together and moved to nestle his nose into her soft hair, closing his eyes.

Hermione's brown eyes widened in surprise and she jumped up and away from him. "Draco! What are you doing?" She brushed her brown curls back into place, shocked by her best friend's sudden action.

He just scoffed again and looked into her eyes. "You break my heart, Hermione." He lay down on the couch, turned away from her. Afraid of another weird reaction from him, she took one small, tentative step towards him.

"Draco? What's wrong with you?"

"Everything," he moaned, very uncharacteristically, and Hermione frowned in concern. Her compassion for her roommate made her go to him and pull his shoulder towards her so she could see his face.

"Are you all right?" she asked soothingly, and he blinked at her, his eyes tearing from the bright lights. Hermione smiled a little. "You're not going to cry on me, are you?"

"Kiss me," he said, ignoring her question, and Hermione blinked, her mouth dropping open.

"What?"

"Kiss me. Once. Just to see what it's like. I want to know what I'm missing out on."

"Malfoy—"

"You ought to be Mrs. Malfoy," he interrupted, and Hermione stared at him incredulously. He was bad when he was drunk, but not this bad. At a surprisingly quick speed for his inebriated state, he had her in his arms, his head nuzzling her neck. "You should be my wife," he breathed, and Hermione tried to push him away.

"Draco, stop this! You're talking nonsense. I need to get you to bed."

"Only if you'll come with me."

"Draco!" she exclaimed, pushing him away in disgust.

"I won't do anything! Just sleep. Just let me hold you. I won't remember this anyway, you know, in the morning," he said sadly. "Please?"

The desperation on his attractive face pierced Hermione's heart and she had agreed before her mind caught up with her. Drunk Draco uncharacteristically wore his emotion on his sleeve, and it was hard not to succumb to his somewhat strange requests. Well, some of them anyway.

Hermione told him to get into his pyjamas and she went to change into her own; the longest pyjamas she had in her closet. She got ready for bed, hoping that he was already asleep when she went in, but he wasn't. He looked up from the bed when she entered and pat the side on his left. Right when she lay down and pulled the covers up to her chin, he grabbed her and pulled her to him as if he was squeezing a most beloved stuffed animal.

"Hermione, you break my heart," he nearly sobbed, and Hermione turned and wrapped her arms around his neck. Her heart hurt because his did.

"Oh Draco," she said softly, and held him tight.

Drunk Draco was hard to deal with because he was so out of his usual character. It was as if he had two very separate personalities; sneaky, emotionless, witty Malfoy who seemed to be roommates and best friends with Hermione Granger only to play tricks on her and to tease her and to argue with her all the time. Then there was Draco, sweet, nice, romantic Draco, the Draco who constantly reminded her why she was his best friend, why she was roommates with him, and why she sometimes imagined herself with him if she wasn't dating Ron, but he rarely appeared, unless Malfoy was over-the-edge drunk.

Draco moved so his eyes were pressed against her shoulder, as if suppressing tears. "Why can't you just be one person?" she whispered and sighed. "Are you all right?" she asked in a louder voice, rubbing his back.

"Now that you're here," he murmured, and she knew he was going to sleep soon. He was just like a little boy.

"Hush up and go to sleep now," she told him bossily, half-amused, and he raised his head up off her shoulder to look at her. His grey eyes looked so sad, depressed, glistening with grief—he _had_ been crying! Merlin's beard! But then he was talking.

"I mean it, you know," he told her quietly, and rested his forehead against hers, eyes closing. "I always mean it," he whispered.

"Mean what?"

"I mean it."

"What are you talking about Draco?"

"I mean it." His voice was nearly inaudible now.

"Tell me in the morning," she told him before closing her eyes. A long moment passed, then his head rose up and she felt his trembling lips press against her forehead before he whispered, "I mean it," and his lips pressed another sweet kiss to her head before going back to her shoulder.

Overtaken by emotion, Hermione found tears in her own eyes from his mysterious remark and because of how much pain he seemed to be going through. It was only obvious what Draco Malfoy felt about her, especially after this little episode. He liked her. But he'd never told her sober, and he only acted on whatever he felt when he was fully drunk. So how could she even take him seriously? She was probably a figure for someone else. And besides, even if he did like her, she was in love with Ron Weasley. Not Draco.

"Goodnight, Draco," she told him, even though he was definitely asleep now. She held him tight.

_A/N: this is a relatively short chapter, so i'll have another update soon. hope you liked it! please review and tell me your thoughts on it! thanks! -LoVeDoNtHaTe_


	4. A Good Day Gone Terrible

Hermione woke up in the morning and he was gone. She sat up and rubbed her eyes and sighed. How could he get so pissed and then get up early the morning after?

She heard a bang in the kitchen, and she got up and walked over towards the noise and saw her roommate rubbing his head, their cabinet door wide open and a pot of coffee steaming. She smiled.

"Looking for the hangover potion, I assume," she said and went and picked one out for him. "Here."

"Thanks," he muttered groggily and drank it before rubbing his hair. "I'm so sorry about last night," he said. Hermione sighed.

"It's all right. It's weird when you get drunk because it's so rare. What happened last night?" she said, concerned. She poured them both a cup of coffee.

Draco just shook his head. "Nothing."

She held his arm. "Draco, what wrong?"

"Nothing happened, I said."

Hermione frowned and took a sip of the hot coffee. She was about to demand an answer when another thought popped into her head. "You kept saying 'I mean it' to me last night. What did you mean?"

Draco stared at her a moment before shaking his head. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"You don't remember that?"

"I was drunk out of my mind yesterday. I wouldn't remember."

Hermione sighed and drank a cup of water before heading to her room. "I'm going to shower first," she called, and he nodded before pouring himself some coffee. When she had shut her door, he visibly faltered and leant against the counter for support, his cheeks pink with suppressed embarrassment.

"What do I have to go say those stupid things for?" he asked himself angrily. A loud peck at the window made him jump before he went to let the owl in. He grabbed the note the owl carried and read it.

'Hermione; dinner tonight at seven? Meet me at my flat. – Ron'

Draco pursed his lips. He really did not want her going out with him. He took a quill and some ink and quickly wrote a note back.

'Hermione's busy tonight with work. – Malfoy' He sent it without a second thought and looked up at the clock.

"Crikey!" he yelped. "Hermione! You're going to be late for work!" He heard the shower shut off and he bit his lip to keep from smiling. She hated being late for anything.

"Are you certain?" she yelled back, and Draco ran to his room to get changed. He was going to be late too.

"I'm sure! Hurry up!"

The two came out of their rooms at the same time, Hermione's hair soaking wet and Draco's robes strewn over him. They laughed at each other and fixed each other up before disappearing into the Floo.

Ron appeared at their flat, having half a mind to beat Draco to a pulp, and saw the flat empty. "She's cheating on me!" he yelled. "I knew it!" He stomped back to the Floo network. "Lavender Brown's flat!" he yelled, and disappeared.

Unaware of her boyfriend's current infidelity, Hermione spent the next ten hours working hard to make up for being late. Unsurprisingly, she had worked an hour overtime, and received a knock on her door at seven in the evening. "You can come in, Draco," she called. It wasn't a new practice for them.

Draco entered, smiling. "Still working Hermione?"

"Yep," she said, not looking up.

"You want to go out for dinner?"

"Yeah, let me just wrap this up." She finished her writing and put the parchment into one of the many manila folders she had stacked neatly on her desk. "Done!" she said with a smile at him, and grabbed her coat before locking up and leading him out. "So where to?"

"That Italian restaurant in Scotland?"

"Sounds good." She grabbed onto his arm and they Disapparated. It was a nice walk to the restaurant, a nice and expensive dinner, and a nice walk up to Hermione's favourite hill.

"I love looking at the stars," she told him, lying down on the cold grass.

"As you tell me every time we come here," Draco replied, lying down next to her.

Hermione smiled, gazing up. "Yeah. I just have to tell you every time how much I love it here. When I have kids, I'm going to bring them here every night till they go to school." She shivered. It was cold on the ground. "I see Orion's belt! And the Big and Little Dippers."

Draco smiled and looked over at her. "You're cold," he stated, and scoot over to her side, putting his arm around her. Hermione just smiled.

"Thanks." She put her arms around him and Draco closed his eyes.

"What do I mean to you?" he asked softly. Hermione moved her head a little go get more comfortable on his shoulder.

"I don't know," she murmured.

Draco sighed. Every time they were up here, snuggling like they were, he'd sometimes imagine her wide awake and kissing him. He'd imagined she was his and that they were together and in love. But, she wasn't his, anyway. That was enough to sober him of his imagination.

He looked up at the bright, sparkling stars and sighed again. How could he tell her he loved her when she so clearly loved someone else? Someone else who didn't deserve her love, but deserved to be thrown off a cliff with that wench he shagged? How could he ever tell her _that_ bit of news without breaking her?

He nestled his nose into her hair and closed his eyes with a small contented sigh. Might as well banish the bad thoughts and focus on what he had right now. Her with him lying under the stars, together, sleepy…

"Draco, what are you thinking about?" Hermione asked softly.

"About us," he answered truthfully.

"About us?"

"Yeah."

They were quiet for another minute until Hermione just couldn't stay silent. "Draco, what do I mean to you?"

"You're the most important person to me out of everyone. You're my best friend," he whispered back, and he could feel Hermione smile on his coat.

"You're really important to me too, Draco."

He smiled faintly. They were silent for another moment until Hermione finally sighed.

"It's getting kind of late," she said, getting up. Draco pushed her up from his place on the ground and got up himself.

"It's only nine," he replied, and Hermione raised her eyebrows at him.

"Late."

An owl that Hermione seemed to recognise came by and dropped a letter at Hermione's feet. She hurriedly snatched it up and read it, frowning. Clearing her throat, she looked at her roommate. "I've got to go somewhere."

Draco frowned. "Where?"

She just smiled at him. "I'll see you at home, okay?" Hermione rushed off with a wave and he watched as she walked down the hill. Somewhat worried, Draco Apparated to their flat. He frowned at the empty room. She would definitely tell him when she got home. If not, he'd bug it out of her.

He got ready for bed and sat on the couch waiting for her. He grew bored, made and drank some tea, read a book, and the clock continued to tick, signaling that two hours had already passed. Confused and worried, Draco couldn't get immersed in the new book he had purchased just last week, so he decided to go out and look for her himself. But she could be anywhere around Wizarding London! Maybe she was just at Weasley's place. That was probable. Or Ginny's, or Brown's. Draco cringed. Not Lavender Brown.

The Floo network suddenly sprung to life, emitting flames that revealed Hermione, dirty and ashy. She brushed off her robes, wrinkling her nose. "We need to clean out our fireplace," she said nonchalantly. Draco knew better.

"What happened? You were gone for two hours!" He got up from the couch and went to her. She didn't look up at his face like she usually would have, but kept her face towards the ground.

"I just went over to Ron's." She tried to push past him.

Draco frowned. Normally he would assume that they had just talked or snogged or something, but Hermione's face wasn't bright and glowing like it usually was when she came back from her boyfriend's place. It looked like they had had a row. Again. "What did you two fight about? Why did you go there?" he asked firmly, grabbing her shoulders and keeping her in place.

"We didn't fight," she replied gloomily, and Draco rolled his eyes.

"I wish you'd give me more credit on how well I know you."

Hermione sighed heavily and looked up at her roommate. Her eyes were somewhat red and puffy, obviously from crying, and her breath smelled like liquor.

"Hermione?" Draco asked softly. "What happened?"

Hermione looked back at the ground, biting her bottom lip. She shook her head. "He told me to come over because he wanted to talk to me. He still thinks I'm cheating on him. He came to our flat while we were at work because he apparently forgot that I have work today, and when it was empty, he thought we were shagging or something." Hermione took a deep, shaky breath. "I don't know what to do with him."

"So you were fighting with him for two hours?"

She nodded and sniffed. Draco sighed and took her into his arms. "He doesn't deserve you," Draco murmured, rubbing her back soothingly. He was remembering Weasley and Brown. Weasley and Brown at the Three Broomsticks, getting a room… Maybe now was a good time to tell her.

"I mean, I still love him, but he just breaks my heart sometimes," Hermione said, giving into her repressed sobs.

No, now was _not_ a good time to tell her. "Shh, it'll be okay, Hermione. It always is," Draco said, looking into their dirty fireplace. That note he had sent back to Weasley caused this, and he felt terrible. He had never wanted to hurt Hermione, and he had inadvertently done so. Another thing to add to his 'bad person' list. "I made tea, do you want some?" he asked her, and he felt her nod.

Draco pulled away and kissed her head before going to the kitchen to pour her some tea. When he came with her mug, she was drinking something else entirely. "Hermione, don't drink right now," he told her, quickly taking away the bottle. "Where'd you get this anyway?"

Hermione shook her head. "From Ron's house. I think he gave it to me, or I stole it. I'm not quite sure. These rows are the reasons why I couldn't live with Ron. We have to grow up!" She sobbed a little and reached for the bottle of alcohol.

"Hermione, drink your tea," Draco said in reply, capping the bottle and taking it to the kitchen. He went back to his heartbroken roommate to see her drinking from yet another bottle. "Hermione! Where are you getting all of these?"

"Ron's sodding house," she replied sadly, and hiccoughed. Draco took the alcohol away again, and this time padded her down and checked her purse before taking the bottle to the kitchen. Hermione's broken heart and hopeless attitude made Draco want to kill Weasley. He wanted to smash him for making Hermione feel this way when Ronald Weasley was publicly snogging Lavender Brown and shagging her in "private". For goodness sakes, it was _Ronald_ who should be bawling his eyes out and groveling on his knees for Hermione's forgiveness, not the other way around.

Silently trying to calm himself down, he went back to Hermione and looked into her downcast face. "Buck up, girl. You know it'll be better when you two make up." It hurt his heart saying it, but it was true. They had had terrible rows over the years, but they always came back to each other. That thought made Draco wonder exactly how many girls Weasley had shagged to "get back at his girlfriend".

"Draco, you wouldn't be jealous if your girlfriend was living with another man, would you?" Hermione asked quietly, and Draco shook his head.

"Of course I would be." Hermione looked at him, frowning. "Think about it, Granger. He loves you and may even want to marry you," the bastard, "and you living with me makes things really awkward for him. Especially because he's the most jealous person on this earth, he'd start thinking things about us being together."

"But that's just preposterous!" Hermione exclaimed. That statement hurt Draco's pride a bit. "How could he think that after six years?"

"You think that the idea of us dating is preposterous?" he asked, and Hermione sighed.

"No, the idea that I'd cheat on someone I love is preposterous!"

Draco nodded, content with that answer.

"I cannot believe him sometimes," Hermione huffed.

"He's a dolt."

Hermione smiled and looked at her best friend, and, in her drunken stupor, her gaze dropped to his lips. She had never entertained the idea of cheating on Ron, ever, until right at that moment. She would probably pass out before she could do anything, but just to kiss him, to really make Ron's dreams come true…

"Kiss me," she whispered, and Draco's eyes widened.

"What?"

Her brown eyes went back up to his. "Kiss me. Just to see what it's like." Her gaze dropped again. Her heart began thumping quickly.

"Hermione, you're not thinking clearly."

"I know you don't want to, but just do it. To get back at Ronald Weasley." She smiled loosely. "Make his dreams come true."

Draco's mouth dropped open, and Hermione passed out.

_A/N: ahh romance. unrequited, unfortunately for Draco. and dang Ron and his jealousy! we'll see if they make up again in the next chapter...or so. please review! :D_


	5. A Talk of Marriage the Morning After

The next morning was dark and gloomy. Hermione woke up to a dark room, and she blearily thought that it was still very early in the morning. Groaning, Hermione stayed in bed for another hour before someone knocked on her door.

"Come in," she rasped. Just talking was hurting her throbbing head. Draco came in with what looked like a tray of something. He placed the tray on the nightstand. On it was a hangover potion, some strong-smelling coffee, and a biscuit.

"I called your work and said you'd gotten sick with something. Here, drink this." He handed her the vial of the potion and she drank it dutifully before taking the coffee.

"I love you Draco. Thank you so much. I don't think I've really gotten that drunk before," she said after the potion kicked in. Draco just shrugged.

"You were upset."

Hermione smiled. "Thanks for understanding."

"What are friends for?" He smiled back, watching as Hermione drank a sip of the hot coffee. "So what are you going to do about that red-headed dolt?"

Hermione sighed. "I'll just have to wait until he calms down before I go and talk to him again. That might take, mm, three weeks?" She scoffed and sipped the coffee. Draco just shook his head. She was so loyal to her cheating boyfriend. He looked down at the hand she had lying on her lap, and he grabbed it, stroking the top of her hand with his thumb.

"Are you feeling better?" he asked, and Hermione, after getting over her surprise, smiled and nodded, looking down at their hands.

"I think I'll be okay. I can last without a boyfriend for now."

Draco smirked. "That's good to know."

Hermione slipped her hand out of his to use both her hands for the coffee cup. Draco pursed his lips. He really, really wanted to tell her Weasley's terrible secret. Hermione noticed his hesitant face, and curiously asked, "What are you thinking about?"

"Granger, I have to tell you something," he replied slowly. Hermione blinked. Oh, he wasn't going to confess his feelings, was he?

"What is it?" she whispered.

Draco hesitated, but in the end, he couldn't do it. He couldn't break her heart more than it already was. "Never mind."

"Draco, what is it?" Hermione asked, frowning.

"It's nothing."

"Tell me."

"I forgot." Draco got up. "Stay in bed. You don't have work today."

"Draco!" Hermione called, but she could only watch as he ignored her and slipped out the door, closing it behind him. Frowning, she complied only because she felt her temples still throbbing painfully.

Draco was in the living room staring aimlessly at the wall, wondering why he just couldn't bring himself to tell her. "After all, she is mad at him," he thought to himself. "She needs to break up with him and be done with it once and for all! But I can't do it! It'll break her heart. And her birthday is in a week. I wouldn't want to break her heart so close to her birthday!" Draco threw his head back in frustration. "But I have to tell her soon!"

Hermione came out of her room, a fluffy robe covering up her rumpled robes. "Thanks Draco," she said, and he turned to look at her and nodded.

"You're welcome. You were terribly pissed yesterday."

"I know. Stupid Ron."

Draco laughed. "Stupid Weasley," he agreed. Hermione came down to sit beside him and sipped the coffee that she had brought with her. "How's your head?" Draco asked after a moment.

"Lots better. Thank goodness we have hangover potions. It would take me all day to get rid of the hangover the Muggle way."

"And how's that?"

"Just strong coffee." She smiled, and Draco rolled his eyes.

"I can't imagine that pain for a whole day."

Hermione just shrugged and stayed silent, slowly sipping the hot contents of her warm mug. Draco sighed and flipped on the telly Hermione had brought a couple years back, bored out of his mind. "You don't have work today?" she asked in surprise, and he shrugged.

"I switched shifts with another person. I'm going in later today."

"To take care of me? How sweet." Hermione smiled and pecked his cheek. "Thank you, dear."

Draco just nodded, eyes still glued to the telly, his mind not really registering what images were coming in through his eyes, but were instead mulling over his feelings, both physically and emotionally. They watched television for a long time. Neither really paid much attention to what was happening on the screen, and Hermione had to finally shut it off for the sake of her poor brain.

"I don't even know why I got a telly," she whined. "I don't even watch it anyway. I'd rather be sitting with a terrible book than a good show on the television." She disappeared into her room and came back with a rather thick book with a bookmark stuck somewhere in the middle, and she began to read quietly on the couch. Draco summoned one of his books as well from his room and they spent another hour and a half reading quietly to themselves. It was nice, much better than the ugly noises and overly-dramatic voices and tiring jingles playing in their ears so much that they could hardly think.

The hour and a half passed before they fell into a conversation about a book that Hermione detested and that Draco loved. It moved onto authors, then real-life experiences, influences, somehow to pets, and then to her birthday. Their conversations were always curious.

"So what do you want for your birthday, Granger?" he asked, fiddling with his family signet ring. Hermione just shrugged, looking into the weathered pages of her book.

"I want something new to read," she stated, "and I want the first copy of _Hogwarts: A History_. But I already told Ron that, if he is even going to bring me a gift. One week and I turn 25! Goodness, I'm getting old!" Hermione sighed.

"You'd better find a wizard to settle down with," Draco said with a smirk, and Hermione rolled her eyes.

"I'm not getting married till I'm thirty."

"That late?"

"Why not? Enjoy life in your twenties, get married in your thirties, and spend the rest of life with your spouse and have kids."

Draco scoffed. "I bet you've got your life planned out for you, your husband, and your kids! Hogwarts for their education?"

"Definitely!" she said with a smile.

"Names?"

"Thomas, and Rose. Or perhaps Hugo and Damaris. It's a nice name."

"Boring if you ask me, but I like the name Damaris. Definitely Scorpius for the bloke, though."

Hermione scoffed. "You have strange names in your head."

"They're Pure-blood names."

"I thought so."

Blood status was of no real importance to either of them, and they knew it, but it was difficult to always ignore that blatant prejudice that was still out there and extremely visible. Hermione just nodded, going back to her book.

"Have you ever wondered what it'd be like to be married?" Draco suddenly asked. Hermione looked up and smiled.

"Afraid of it already?"

"No, I'm just asking," he said, rolling his eyes at her.

Hermione put down her book and stretched. "I think it would be a lot like how we live life together, in the same flat and all. Only we'd love each other in the romantic way and we wouldn't be dating other people."

Draco's heart squeezed at the thought of living a married life with the girl in front of him. "And we'd have amazing sex every once in awhile," he replied with a smirk. Hermione just laughed at him.

"You never told me; when do you want to get married?"

Draco scoffed. "I need to find a girl to get married to first before I decide an age."

"You can always decide on an age."

He just shrugged. "Whenever the right witch comes." Hermione smiled at his answer and picked up her book.

"You want to go out to lunch?" she asked. "I'll owl Harry and Ginny to come with us too."

"You go on. I have work in half an hour."

Hermione didn't reply, but disappeared into her room and got ready for the day. She owled the Potters and they agreed to meet at the Three Broomsticks. After caging the owl again, she looked into the mirror and sighed. Whoever Draco had in mind to marry, it certainly couldn't be her. After all, his standards should be pretty high to match his own good looks. Brains she could match, but not looks. She was a bit too plain for that. But it didn't matter! She still had…well, Ron. Even if he refused to speak to her at the moment.

Hermione came out of her room and found Draco still on the couch, reading. "Have fun," he said monotonously, grey eyes glued to his book. Hermione smiled and leant against the couch to peck his cheek. His head whipped up to her face after she had pulled away looking surprised.

"I will," she said, giggling a little at his incredulous facial expression. "Don't look so surprised! It's not like I never kiss you on the cheek." She turned, grabbed her purse and a warm jacket, and headed out.

Draco stared after her till the door was shut. If they were married, he hoped that he'd never so affected by her all the time.

_A/N: adorable, i think! please review! tell me how you like it. review, review, review! it'll make me happy! :D_


	6. To Lunch!

Hermione entered the nearly empty Three Broomsticks. The children that had usually crowded the place were now all at school, and Hermione felt old. It was almost eight years since she had left Hogwarts! Seeing her childhood friends sitting at a table and talking made her smile. It never amazed her how Harry and Ginny seemed to stay in love while her romance with Ron was always on the rocks.

"Hello," she said, taking a seat beside Ginny. "I hope I'm not disturbing anything." She smiled.

The Potters smiled back. "Hermione!" Ginny exclaimed, hugging her. "I don't think we've spoken for a long time!"

Hermione laughed. "I haven't spoken to both of you since the gathering we had at the Hog's Head."

"That's why we have those every month," Ginny replied, smiling. "To catch up!"

Harry laughed. "You act like you haven't seen her in years!"

"Well, it feels like I haven't!" Ginny retorted. "So Hermione, any news with Ron yet?"

Hermione rolled her eyes. "No. He hasn't talked to me since we 'broke up' just yesterday."

"What a prick!" Ginny exclaimed. "I ought to hex him!"

Hermione smiled. Even if Ginny was his sister, she was almost always on Hermione's side when it came to their relationship.

"Why did he break up with you? Assuming that he broke up with you as usual?"

Hermione laughed. "Yes Harry, as usual. He was a jealous twat as usual. He thought that Draco and I were having a fling behind his back and he threw a jealous fit and we had a huge row before I left, taking two bottles of his Firewhiskey with me."

"Stupid Ron," Ginny said with a sigh. "Making Draco deal with your pissed self."

"Both pissed and pissed off," Harry laughed.

Hermione rolled her eyes good-naturedly at them. "Let eat, shall we?"

After a nice hour of eating and talking, Harry had to excuse himself to get to work at the Ministry. Hermione sighed when he left, and Ginny smiled at her.

"I do hope you're not pining after my husband," she said, and Hermione laughed.

"No, no! I was just thinking of how lucky you are to actually have a husband. Somebody that loves you."

Ginny just shrugged, but her glowing face didn't help with her act of nonchalance. "It's all right I guess."

Hermione sighed again and placed her elbow on the table, resting her thoughtful head on her hand. "How did you know you were really in love, Gin?"

Ginny shrugged, blushing. Ah, she still acted like a newlywed. "At first I think I was really infatuated with him. I mean, after all, it was every girl's dream to know the Harry Potter. And he is the most attractive bloke ever." Hermione laughed, and Ginny eyed her humourously. "_And_ after we began dating and all, he was absolutely perfect to me, and I knew I loved him when I knew I could see myself in a relationship with him forever and ever, that I'd die in his place if I ever needed to, that I'd love him no matter what he looked like."

Hermione sighed heavily, a brown curl falling in front of her face. "I want to be in a stable relationship, not an up and down one with Ronald."

"What about Draco?" Ginny asked as they stood and left the pub.

"Draco? I don't like him like that. And he especially doesn't like me. He only acts like it when he's drunk, but I bet he'd be hitting on all the girls if he didn't live with only me."

Ginny laughed. "Can't you see it in his eyes?"

"What about his eyes?"

"Well, you live with him! Can't you tell that he fancies you?"

"Ginny, I can't _read_ eyes. Who the hell can actually _read_ eyes? They're just circular muscles with lenses, pupils, and irises that bring in images for our brains to interpret."

Her best friend laughed again. "Hermione, you may able to read a book, but you are too daft to read a man's emotions."

Hermione huffed. "Whatever. Anyway, we were talking about marriage before I came here—"

"Marriage?! He proposed to you?!" Ginny squealed, and Hermione laughed.

"No! Of course not!! No, we were just talking about being married, but not to each other! And anyway, he said that he still hadn't found his perfect woman yet."

"Oh Hermione, you know he's talking about you."

"If Draco ever became sappy like Harry is around you, I think I'd kill myself."

Ginny just laughed. "Oh, you'd love it, 'mione and you know it."

Hermione grinned. "Oh, look! Speak of the devil," she said. Draco was approaching them, and she waved at him with a smile. He nodded back and stopped when they met.

"Just had lunch?" he asked, and Hermione nodded.

"At the Three Broomsticks. I love their butterbeer. I wanted to ask Madam Rosmerta for her recipe again, but I forgot."

Draco smiled. "Well, have fun ladies. I've got to be somewhere in a few minutes. Goodbye Hermione, Ginny."

He disappeared behind them and Ginny sighed. "Hermione, you'd probably be better off breaking up with Ron for good. It doesn't seem like you two will last."

"Ginny!"

"I'm serious! You should definitely have a thing with Draco." She grinned and bat her eyelids, making Hermione laugh.

"Not even in the question. By the way, you and Harry are definitely coming to my birthday party, right?"

"Wouldn't miss it for the world!"

"Good. Apparently Draco is throwing it for me, and he's been a dear about it."

"He's a very good friend."

Hermione smiled. "He is."

_A/N: aww short chapter, i'm sorry! but don't worry! i promise i'll post the next chapter in a few days!! :D just review and you'll get the next chapter sooner!! ;]_


	7. The Birthday Party and Suspicion

A week passed by quickly and it finally came time for Hermione's birthday party that Draco had promised to throw for her. When Hermione came out of her room in the new robes Ginny had bought for her, she took a step back in surprise. Everyone was there and the flat looked beautiful, but what surprised her was that her ex-boyfriend was there as well, talking calmly to Seamus Finnegan.

It scared Hermione a bit, and she searched for Ginny and went quickly to her. "Happy birthday!" Ginny exclaimed, and Hermione turned her back to her ex-boyfriend, looking at her friend squarely in the eye.

"Ginny, did you bring Ron?" she asked, and Ginny grimaced.

"Well, you see, he was already invited, and Harry wanted nothing more in the world than for you two to get back together, so we brought him."

Hermione sighed. "Ginny, I'm scared! How is he going to react to me?"

"Just be calm, Hermione."

"Hermione! Happy birthday!" squealed Parvati and Padma at the same time, pouncing on her. "Come on, your cake!"

Hermione looked desperately at Ginny once before going with the two Patil twins to the kitchen counter. There was a lovely cake on the counter with her name on it. The blue sugary letters were enchanted to move around and every once in awhile change to spell out 'happy birthday', and the pink roses on the white cake danced around.

It was delightful, and Hermione couldn't help but smile at it. Ron suddenly appeared and put in two long candles and five shorter candles before lighting them and pushing the cake towards the birthday girl. He smiled, and Hermione's eyes widened.

"Happy birthday Hermione," he said, and Hermione's ears were slightly deaf to the birthday song as she stared into Ron's blue eyes. Finally, someone pat her shoulder.

"Make a wish, 'mione!" And so she did. She closed her eyes, made a surprising wish in her head, and blew out her candles. Her friends cheered, and she was handed a slice of cake, pushed to sit at the dining table, and presents were rained down upon her. A chorus of voices sounded, asking her to open their gift first, and Hermione laughed and picked out a rectangular box wrapped in red wrapping paper. Inside were new winter robes from Ginny, and Hermione held them to her face and smiled.

"Thank you so much Gin! You do have a delightful taste in robes!"

Ginny just smiled back and Hermione took another gift to open. By the time she had opened the last box, she had received a new swan feather quill from Seamus, more robes from Parvati and Padma, a box of chocolates and the new record from the Weird Sisters from Harry, a box of Weasley Wizard Wheezes pranks from George, the recipe to Madam Rosmerta's butterbeer from Draco, and a necklace from Dean. The last one was from Ron, and she was a bit afraid of opening the small box.

"Open the card first," Ron piped up, and Hermione nodded before taking the card in shaky hands. Inside, Ron had wished her a happy birthday and apologised profusely, and when Hermione opened the box, inside were a pair of diamond earrings and, inside the box was written, 'Be my girlfriend again?'

Hermione's eyes watered and she stood and flung herself into Ron's arms. "Oh Ron!"

"Oh Merlin, he didn't propose did he?" Draco asked disgustedly, and Hermione wiped her tears away and laughed.

"I'll be your girlfriend again Ron. Let's not fight again." And she kissed him.

The rest of the party was everything Hermione had wanted it to be and more, and when Ron had finally left, Hermione gave her best friend a big hug. "Thank you so much, Draco! That was such a wonderful party!"

"You're very welcome. But I still have one more thing to give to you." He disappeared into his room and came back out. "Happy birthday, Granger," he said, handing her a small, wrapped box. "I didn't want to give it to you at the party because I knew Ron'd have a cow if he saw this." Excited, Hermione quickly opened it and gasped.

"Draco!" was all she could exclaim at the moment. After getting over her surprise, she looked up at him. "Draco, this is exactly what I told you I wanted from Scotland!"

Draco grinned. "Yes it is. A little token for you to remember me by."

Hermione laughed. "I don't know what you mean by that, but thanks. I'll think of you whenever I wear it," she teased. She took out the smooth opal ring and held it up to her bright brown eyes. "This must've cost you a fortune!"

"A fortune well spent," he noted.

"I love you!"

Draco scoffed. "Do you think I would buy a ring like that for just any witch?"

Hermione rolled her eyes. "It's nice to hear it from your mouth on the _rare_ occasion I do."

Draco just smirked. Hermione slipped the ring on, admiring it with shining eyes. She smiled wider and threw her arms around his neck. "I love you Draco! The ring is absolutely beautiful!"

"Love you too, Granger," he said with a laugh. 'And I mean it,' he added in his head.

The next day after work, Hermione and Ginny went out to Twilfitt and Tatting's to buy Ginny new robes. Hermione was a bit distracted as they roamed around the shop together, and heard Ginny ask something, but didn't register the question.

"What?" she asked as she fingered some dress robes. "How lovely."

"You and Draco Malfoy, Hermione. You two act much closer than just friends sometimes. And that's not your colour," Ginny replied.

"Well, we do live together. Being roommates and all, we know each other really well. Should I try this one on?" She held up auburn dress robes.

"Maybe too well," Ginny replied.

"Ginny! Never!"

"Well, he gave you a blooming ring! And no, don't. Look at the price!"

"He knew I wanted it from that jewelry shop I told you about in Hogsmeade. And you're right." She put the dress robes back and held up her hand again, smiling at the opal ring shining on her finger. "It's beautiful."

"I agree, but I still think there's something going on. I'm just glad that my brother is too much of a dolt to see it. He'd go mad with jealousy for certain."

"Ginny, seriously, there's nothing going on. I promise. Come on, let's get out of here. It's a bit too expensive."

The two girls exited the shop and, right then, Draco came by and met the two girls. "I've been seeing you two around more than usual! Ginny, Hermione." He pecked each girl on the cheek. "What brings you two here?"

"Just shopping as usual," Hermione told him. "I should ask you the same thing!" He smiled.

"If you did, I'd respond with the same answer. I'm picking up dress robes for my mother. She's ill."

"Oh, well I do hope she gets better," Hermione said and Draco nodded. His eyes flickered down quickly to her hand, and he saw the opal ring and smiled. He grabbed her hand and ran his thumb along the silver band before dropping her hand. "I see you're wearing it in public."

"Of course I am! Why wouldn't I?"

Draco shrugged and kissed her on the cheek, as close to her mouth as he dared. "Goodbye, ladies." He walked off and Ginny gave Hermione a nudge.

"There is no way you two are only friends."

"We are only friends! What do I have to do to prove it to you?"

"Well, for starters, why did he seem so surprised you wore the ring in the public?"

"Because he knows Ron can be a jealous twat and knows that if Ron sees me with this on and knows it's from Draco, he'll go mad."

"Can you explain his cheeriness when he saw you?"

"It's probably this crisp air. God forbid there be one unhappy person this afternoon." Hermione took in a deep breath and smiled.

"How about his sparkling eyes?"

"What?"

"His eyes! Didn't you notice? They sparkled when he talked to you."

Hermione gave her friend an odd look. "I don't pay attention to his eyes. Why would they sparkle?"

"Because you two have a _thing_!"

"No we don't!" Hermione exclaimed.

Ginny laughed. "Stop being so defensive, dear."

Hermione just rolled her eyes and the two continued to shop, not bringing up the subject again. Neither saw the shadow nearby, nor the bright flash of a camera that blended in with the bright day.


	8. A Terrible Day That Just Gets Worse

By the time Hermione got home, she was feeling a little irritated at her best girl friend, and she threw her purse onto the counter, listening to it skid off and land on the floor instead. She sighed and went to pick it up, this time carefully placing it back on the counter. She rummaged in the fridge for some alcohol and pulled out a bottle without checking the label and poured herself several glasses before she began to feel terribly sleepy.

Her eyelids were shutting so rapidly that she felt like she would bump into a wall if she wasn't careful. She could barely see in front of her now, and it was getting a little blurry. She did bump into the door, and tumbled into bed. She conked out in a second.

Draco came home and took off his coat before going into the kitchen. He saw his roommate's purse on the counter and smiled. She was home. Next to it was a bottle of Benzodiazepines and a half-empty tumbler. His eyes widened. He hadn't seen this bottle in years, since he had problems with insomnia and anxiety a few years ago. It had probably been rotting in the back of the fridge, and now…Hermione hadn't taken this, had she?

Cursing, he threw out the bottle and hurried to her room to check on her. Frowning at the empty room, he went to check his room. She might have gone there instead because it was closer to the kitchen. And he was right.

Sleeping peacefully on his bed, her eyebrows would furrow and she groaned once and turned over. Draco sighed. Hopefully she wouldn't have any of the side effects. He closed the door and sat on his couch to read.

Hermione woke up to darkness. She felt unbelievably groggy. 'I couldn't have drunken that much,' she thought, choosing not to talk to keep from irritating her throbbing head. Even her thoughts were slurring. It hurt too much to get up, so she closed her eyes and groaned loudly. The door opened suddenly, and someone walked in.

"Draco?" she mumbled, and she felt a cool hand on her forehead.

"Hermione? Are you awake?"

"Mhm. My head really hurts."

"It's probably one of the side effects."

"Of a hangover? Duh." She heard the person laugh in a disbelieving and relieved sort of way and she frowned. "What?"

"You took Benzodiazepines."

"What?"

"It's a prescribed potion for insomnia and anxiety."

"What the hell is that there for?" she grumbled softly.

"I used to take it when I first moved here."

Hermione moaned a little. "Why didn't you throw it out?"

"Forgot, I guess."

"Ugh. You must've really had problems if you took this potion. I thought it was alcohol."

Draco chuckled. "Poor, poor Hermione. Yeah, I had it pretty bad." She felt his lips on her head. "It'll go away soon."

"Did you kiss it all better?" she asked sarcastically.

"Yes, I did. Now just rest right now."

"What time is it?"

"Four in the morning."

"What? I've been asleep for eight hours? What are you doing still up?"

"I slept and woke up an hour ago and was doing some paperwork I brought home."

"Crazy," she mumbled groggily, and closed her eyes. Draco ran his fingers through her hair.

"Maybe sleep that's not drug-induced will cure you. Goodnight." Hermione mumbled a response and Draco sighed before leaving her in his bed. How he wished he was in there with her!

When Hermione woke up again, it was long after six in the morning, the time she was supposed to wake up for work. Jumping out of bed and feeling slightly disoriented at the moment (probably another side effect of the medicine), she rushed to her room and pulled out her work robes, knowing that there was no time for a shower.

She rushed out, combing her hair, and saw her messenger bag right where she had left it that night. Draco was sitting at the counter, sipping some coffee, and he smiled at her.

"Morning, Granger. I'm sure your boss will be wondering why you're suddenly using all of your sick days."

"What?" Hermione exclaimed, grabbing her bag. "My boss is going to kill me! I'm three hours late!"

"Don't get into a fit," Draco smirked. "I did you the favour of calling in for you and saying you're sick. Again. Which you were." He smiled a dazzling smile that Hermione herself hadn't ever seen before, and it shocked her a little before she dropped her bag and her hairbrush on the floor, and joined him at the counter. Draco handed her a mug of coffee and Hermione sighed, blowing at it.

"Thanks, I suppose."

"I asked how many sick days you had, and your boss said that you had piled up at least a year's worth."

"One year?" Hermione exclaimed. "I should use them all for a nice, long vacation!"

Draco smiled. "Let's go to Cancun."

"Why would I go with you?" she teased, and he shrugged.

"I assumed."

"Well, we could go to Cancun. Or the Bahamas. Or New York."

Draco smirked at his coffee. "From the tropics to the Americas."

"Or maybe Mexico! Or France. Or Italy! I've always wanted to go to Rome and Milan."

Draco smirked again. "Maybe you'll go. One day." Hermione smiled at him.

"Let's go to Italy."

Her roommate just smiled and sipped his coffee. "One day."

"That's a plan I'm keeping you to."

Draco just laughed and sipped his coffee again. "Anyway, I have to get to work. I'll see you later, love," he said, kissing her on the cheek, slightly blushing. He'd let his tongue slip, something that Hermione's didn't really notice.

"All right, bye," she replied, and Draco wished just a little that she'd notice. But he left to the Three Broomsticks to work his promised days for Madam Rosmerta.

Hermione sat at home, looking decent, after Draco left, feeling a little restless. She had noticed. Love? Maybe he just meant it in that friendly way, like a friend. Love. What did people their age know about love? Snorting at herself, she continued to look at her book, the words blurring together a little.

She put the book down and rubbed her eyes. A sudden loud ring was heard, making Hermione jump, and she looked around, realising, after a moment, that it was the door. She rolled her eyes at her silly self and opened the door just to get bombarded with nosy reporters. She hadn't gotten this much attention since the war had ended seven years ago! Now what were they doing at her door at eleven in the morning?

"Ms. Granger! Ms. Granger!" many of reporters called, and her head began to swim as they tried to question her.

"Is it true you and Draco Malfoy are dating?"

"We heard you've uncharacteristically missed two random days of work! Are you having an affair behind Ronald Weasley's back?"

"You and Draco Malfoy seem like more than just friends! What's the story?"

"People witnessed you and Malfoy kiss and hold hands during many outings together! What of it?"

"People want to know: are you and Draco Malfoy an unofficial item?"

"We saw a ring! An opal ring! Are there secret wedding bells?"

"Yes, the ring! How has Ronald Weasley, your ex-boyfriend to be sure, taken it?"

Hermione's eyes widened and she remembered the outing she had had with Ginny just yesterday! Did false news really travel that fast?

The door slammed shut suddenly on the reporters and their blinding cameras, and Hermione turned to see Ginny. Behind her, she could nearly feel the heat of Ron's anger as Harry tried to calm him down.

"What the hell is this all about?" Ron bellowed, and Hermione winced.

"We're not having an affair, I swear!" she exclaimed, closing her eyes to regain her composure. Publicity always took something out of her, and she hated it.

"Doesn't sound too solid to me!" Ron yelled.

"Just give her a chance to explain herself!" Ginny yelled back, and Ron's wild blue eyes stared at her, hurt and very angry.

"How could you even give them something to talk about?" he continued, ignoring his sister's request. "Kissing Draco Malfoy, even on the cheek! Holding hands with him on occasion! When you have a bleeding _boyfriend_ on the side! How could you, Hermione? How the bloody hell could you?"

"Ron! I swear! I didn't cheat on you at all!" she cried, her eyes watering. The evidence was clearly and solidly against her. He wouldn't believe her, no matter how much she tried to explain. "We're best friends! Remember back at Hogwarts I kissed you and Harry on the cheek and held hands with you sometimes too? That's what friends do! Ron, please, I'm telling the truth!"

"You didn't have a boyfriend then! And what about missing work? What about that? You never miss work!"

"Ron, the first day I missed I had gotten pissed out of my mind because I was furious with _you_ and Draco called my work and said I was sick because I had a terrible hangover! And the second time I had accidentally taken Benzodiazepines, which makes one sleep heavily with side effects, and I had gotten up way too late this morning to go to work!"

"You look just fine to me!"

"Ron!" Hermione yelled, the tears finally making their way to her cheeks. "I'm telling you the bleeding truth! If you can't accept it, then believe what the papers say! Believe what those damn reporters say, and don't believe the truth that's coming right out of my mouth! The person who these damned rumours are about! I'm being completely honest to you right now, Ronald Weasley! I don't know what else to be!"

"You're a bloody liar!" Ron shouted, his face a bright red. The veins on his neck were pulsing at a rapid pace, his eyes were wild, and even his hair seemed to crackle. Harry and Ginny had been silent the entire time, watching this whole ordeal.

Harry finally spoke up. "Let's go, Ron." He wrapped an arm around Ron's chest and forcibly dragged him to the Floo.

"Fine! I don't want to be near this bloody _whore_ any-bloody-more! You're a _whore_ Hermione Granger! A bloody whore!" he screamed at her before disappearing with Harry.

Hermione dropped down and sobbed into her hands, forgetting that Ginny was nearby. Someone popped into her flat, and she heard Draco's voice, making her head whip up to see if it was him through her tears.

"I came just when I heard. How is she?" Draco asked Ginny, his face hard. His jaw was clenched, and she could see his frustration by the coldness of his face, his own vein in his neck pulsing. Funny how Ron and Draco were similar in that way.

"How does she look? She's a mess!"

"There's no bloody way she would've cheated on her boyfriend!" Draco said through clenched teeth.

"Why are you telling me? I'm convinced! Tell her bloody boyfriend that!" Ginny said, brandishing her wand. "Hermione, I'm going home to calm Ron down. I'm sure he's going to be threatening Harry by now. I'll be back later."

She disappeared, and now, in the quiet, Hermione could hear the incessant knocks of the reporters. Thankfully, the blinds had been pulled down, probably by Ginny, and no one could see in. Hermione broke again, sobbing. Warm arms encircled her, and Hermione let out another sob before pushing him away roughly, standing and looking at her roommate.

"You made all these rumours happen! You made me and Ron break up again!" she cried, backing up to the wall.

"Hermione, I—

"No!" she cried, her eyes shutting tight. "What the hell are we going to do about this? Ron is never going to believe me! What am I going to do?"

"Hermione! Listen, I—

"God, and now he's going to stop talking to me! What'll I do? And these bleeding people all around…oh God! What am I going to do?"

"Hermione!" he yelled. "Sit down!"

Hermione began to cry again, wiping her face with the sleeves of her robe. "Why did this have to happen now? Why?"

Draco sat her down on the couch and sat next to her, rubbing her back. He was going to tell her, whether it killed her or not. He had to. "Hermione," he said roughly, making Hermione look up at him with wet eyes. His heart almost broke, and he felt his cowardly ways coming back. Quickly closing his eyes to regain his confidence, he spoke again. "I have to tell you something very important."

That stopped Hermione's tears, and her eyes widened. "Draco, don't—"

"Just hear me out!" he yelled, scaring her into submission. She was silent as she watched him compose himself again. "There's something I've been meaning to tell you for _weeks_. But I—I just couldn't, till now, till these stupid rumours started! So now that you're here, I'm going to tell you once and for all!"

Hermione held her breath.

"Ron's been cheating on you."

This was not the confession Hermione had been expecting at all.

"What?" she breathed in absolute shock.

"I saw him and Lavender Brown at the Hogs Head sharing a butterbeer, and they started snogging and next thing I knew he went up to one of the rooms and she followed him."

Hermione stared at him, tears dry. "Ron…_cheated_ on me?"

Draco just watched her. Hermione turned away from him and stared into space, still shocked. "He cheated on me? And you're absolutely sure it was him?"

Draco nodded. "He's not worthy of being with you, Hermione. He cheated on you and deserves to be hexed and thrown off a cliff!"

Hermione just shook her head, eyes surprisingly dry. "I…I just can't believe it." She stood. Then sat down again. "I…I don't know if I want to know!" she said suddenly, lip quivering. "I don't want it to be true!" She buried her face into her hands and began to cry again. After a few moments, she dried her eyes and stood.

"Hermione, I wouldn't make this up."

She sniffed and looked at him. "I know, but I need to see for myself." She went to the Floo and disappeared.

An hour and a half later, she was back in tears. "Ron was cheating on me! With Lavender Brown! For two bloody months!" she sobbed.

"Oh, Hermione," Draco exclaimed, going to her. She sobbed into his arms, her whole body shaking. He rocked her back and forth for awhile, feeling his shirt soaking up her tears of sadness, hurt, anger, frustration, and more hurt. When Hermione was out of tears, her body relaxed totally and she deflated, having no strength to hold herself up.

"Oh Hermione," Draco whispered again, pressing his lips to her head.

"Was I really that naïve? Am I that easy to cheat on? What is wrong with me? Why would he do that?"

"He was stupid and selfish, Hermione. His stupid jealousy took a hold of him and he used Brown as an outlet. I feel bad for her too, the stupid bint."

"I hope they're happy. We're never getting back together ever again." She let out a sob. "Never again."

"Hermione," Draco murmured, "you'll find someone else. Don't cry over a silly boy."

"But he was _my_ silly boy!" Hermione cried.

They were silent for a while longer, till Hermione's tears finally subsided again for the time being. She broke away from their embrace and wiped her eyes with her sleeve. "Thank you, Draco," her breathing hitched and she let out another sob, "for…for being with me. I…I needed someone to be…be here with me." She sobbed again and walked slowly to her room, shutting the door quietly.

Draco watched her with hurt eyes, his heart broken. He knew that she would be broken, but she would get over it. She had to! She was Hermione Granger for Merlin's sake!

He flopped onto the couch and closed his eyes, his body sagging. He felt weak. What a stupid, _fucking _Weasel.

* * *

_so sorry for the long wait you all had to endure! if you did endure it, haha. i'm going to update with another chapter today, so that sounds good, doesn't it? poor hermione :( please review! -LoVeDoNtHaTe_


	9. Enter the Friends

The reporters had died down a bit by six in the evening, and Hermione hadn't come out of her room the whole time. Draco had left food by her door which didn't disappear. Ginny had come by like she'd promised, but Hermione wouldn't see her. She wouldn't see anybody.

Draco was distraught. His blonde hair was disheveled from his hands continuously running through it in frustration and worry. He wanted to beat Ronald Weasley until he couldn't feel his body, until Draco's hand went numb or till the bones in his hands broke. His heart wrenched with sadness; his body burned with anger. At one point, he had opened the front door and roared at the reporters so loudly that he had scared most of them away. Only the real nosy ones were still around, like cockroaches that were unwilling to be killed.

At half past eight, Hermione finally came out of her room, her eyes red and swollen, her face flushed with all her crying. "Hermione," Draco breathed and embraced her tightly, closing his eyes in relief.

"I got hungry," was all she replied, and Draco pressed his lips together in a smile.

"I'm sure you did. I left food at your door. There's some pasta in the fridge. I'll warm it up for you."

Hermione sniffed loudly. "Thanks." She sat at the counter and stared into space. The pasta was warmed up quickly, and Draco handed it to her along with a fork.

"Just in case you wanted to stab Weasley's heart out," Draco joked as he handed her the utensil, but she didn't laugh. How could she? Idiot, Draco thought to himself. Hermione ate silently and Draco watched her. She was so calm about it. Well, right now at least.

How could Weasley cheat on her anyway? She was a darling. She was adorable, beautiful, amazing, smart, compassionate, loving…he couldn't imagine why Ronald Weasley would want to hurt her. He was lucky, damnit! He had what Draco himself had wanted for awhile, and now he was just throwing her away? She deserved so much better.

"What?" Hermione whispered, and Draco realised he had just said the last part of his thoughts aloud.

"I…well…you…you deserve so much better," he said, blushing a little.

Hermione stared at him, and she was beginning to unnerve him when she replied, a little smile on her lips. "I know now." And that was it. She turned back to her pasta, and Draco entertained the idea that she still had a little smile on those lips of hers.

For the next few days, reporters coming around and were sending so many owls that Draco had finally just closed the windows, doors, and the blinds for good. Ginny came by the second week of this isolation by Floo, and Hermione met her, still looking somewhat heartbroken. Draco was apparently alone in his room.

"Hermione, I cannot believe what a wanker he was!" Ginny exclaimed, and Hermione just scoffed.

"I can't believe it either. It's absolutely mind blowing. For two months! Tell me Gin, how did your brother turn out to be like this?"

"Beats me," Ginny muttered. "So how are you?"

"Well, I've been recuperating. Draco's been a dear, taking care of me and everything. It's difficult to get to work and all with all those reporters crowding the front door."

"I could imagine," Ginny laughed.

"I missed two more days of work because it was so bad. Draco said we should call the Aurors, but I don't want to. Yet, anyway."

"Well, it looks like it's dying down a bit."

"Yeah. Anyway, I think something's wrong with Draco."

"Hmm? Why?"

"He's been cooped up in his room all day today."

"What were you two talking about?"

"Well I was blabbering on and on about relationships, about Ron and all, and he got very sulky and disappeared into his room after our conversation."

Ginny's suspicions were confirmed. "Dear. I want to go see if he's alright. I know, I know, very uncharacteristic of me to care how Draco Malfoy is doing. I'll be right back. Put the kettle on for me, won't you?" Ginny got up and walked over to Draco's door.

"Good luck, Gin. He won't even see me!" Hermione called.

Now Ginny Weasley wasn't a very nosy person, especially with Draco since they had started off on the wrong foot. It wasn't to say they were enemies, but they weren't friends either. But Ginny wanted to check on Draco Malfoy not really caring about how he was doing, but why he was doing this, having an inkling of why he was sulking so. She knew that, sometimes, Hermione just wasn't the most intuitive person.

So here she was, alone at his bedroom door, wondering if her little meddling could make her best friend's future with the man behind. She knocked, and she heard a mumbled, "Go away".

"Open the door."

A muffled sound answered her.

Ginny pressed her ear against the door and spoke. "I'm not Hermione where I'm just going to leave it be. I'm going to open this door whether you open it or not in the next five seconds."

"What are you, my bloody mother?" he shouted. Something was knocked over, and she huffed.

"Alohomora," she snapped. She opened to find a mess.

"Merlin, I never thought of you to be a messy one," she said, kicking a book out of her way. There were several bottles on the floor as well as an empty tumbler

"Close the door," Draco said wearily, tossing a book off his bed.

"Were you reading?" she asked, and he shook his head.

"Just looking at a book."

"Are you intoxicated?" she asked, approaching him.

"Yes! So what?" he yelled, and Ginny smirked.

"I think I know why you're drunk," she said, and Draco rolled his eyes, flopping onto his bed.

"Are you the next Hermione Granger?" he replied sarcastically, and Ginny sighed.

"Malfoy, she doesn't even know. She's not intuitive enough to know that you like her."

If he wasn't drunk, he probably would have been more surprised. "You know?"

"Of course! The way you look at her, Malfoy, is more obvious than the fact that she and my brother won't work out!"

Draco sat up, regarding the younger Weasley curiously. He was beginning to like her a little more. "Really."

"Yes, really. Admit it. You like her, Malfoy."

"Does she know?"

"Nobody knows except for me. It's not like I tell everyone I know about my assumption of your feelings for her."

"Okay, okay. Yeah, I do like her. More than you'll ever know," he sneered. Ginny frowned. He was a mean drunk, not at all like Hermione described him as a drunk. Even more evidence to back up her hypothesis.

"Well tell her then! I mean, she and Ron are over."

"I just…I can't," Draco said sadly, picking up a book out of the many strewn all over the place. "She'd never believe me. And besides, she's not over _Ronald_ anyhow." He sneered again and threw the book across the room.

"Did she get you all of these or something?" Ginny asked, changing the subject quickly. She nudged one of the books with her foot.

"I got her all of these," he mumbled. "I wanted to destroy every single one, but I haven't been able to yet." He was beginning to slur slightly. Draco groaned and buried his head in his hands. "I love her, but she won't love me. Have you seen the men she's dated?"

"Hmm, Ron, Ron, and Ron? Yes, I have."

Meanwhile, Hermione was outside, making tea, when the Floo came to life. She came out to see who it was, and, to her surprise, she saw Draco's old childhood friend, Theodore Nott, enter the flat with a frown.

"Where's Malfoy?"

"Why are you here?" Hermione asked, jaw dropping.

Theo's frown deepened. "I received an owl from him telling me to come here immediately, for whatever reason. Are you—"

"No, we're not dating!" Hermione exclaimed. "We're just roommates. Um, he's in his room. The one to the left."

"Thank you." Theo walked stiffly to the door and knocked before going in. Hermione frowned, confused, but just shook her head and went back to the kitchen, still waiting for the kettle to whistle.

Theo entered to, "Shut up, Weasley. I mean Potter. Why does Harry Potter get to have a nice life with a wife and a flat to himself and no drama? Merlin!"

He raised his eyebrows at Ginny Weasley in his old mate's room. "What is going on here? There's Hermione Granger in the kitchen, a Weasley in your bedroom."

"We got over our petty prejudices," Draco said wearily. "Thanks for coming, Theo. I wasn't sure if you'd show up again."

"Drunk owling me isn't quite what I expected," Theo replied coolly. "I'll just be going now."

"Wait, Theo," Draco whined, "I need help."

"With what, exactly?"

As she watched them interact, Ginny began to feel just a bit of compassion for the disoriented bloke. He was really in some emotional pain. She remembered when she had seen Harry with his ex-girlfriends years ago, and she had always felt like pulling them away from the man she was infatuated with.

Sighing, she sat on the chair next to his bed. "Malfoy, you need to tell her."

"Tell who what?"

"Who am I to take instructions from you?" Draco snapped.

"Shut up! Grow a pair and tell her you like her!"

"She won't believe me."

"Yes she will! She has an idea already that you might. Apparently you're an emotional drunk around her."

"Just get out!"

Theo crossed his arms, watching them through his dark eyes.

"Think about what I said, Malfoy. Even if we aren't friends, you know what you need to do. You're only hurting yourself, and you don't want to waste any time you have with her, right? Soon, she's going to find someone else to date, and you'll be on the sidelines again. You don't want to take that chance, do you?"

"She wants to get married at thirty. That means I still have five years."

"Do you want to be an old dad? Geez."

With that, Ginny walked out of his room and closed the door. Hopefully, all her advice would stay in his head.

"Hey Gin, tea's ready!" Hermione said, popping her head of the kitchen. "You got into his room? What'd you two talk about?"

"Nothing, really. He's drunk, just to tell you. Might want to have a potion ready when he comes out."

"Why is he drunk?"

Ginny just shrugged. She'd wait till Draco was ready to tell her himself.

Inside, Draco was filling Theo in with the last six years of his life.

"So you've been pining after Granger for nearly two years? What is wrong with you?" Theo said, a touch of disbelief in his smooth voice.

"I know I didn't like her before. We were never friends because we were such opposites, but after the war, we became friends. And you heard of how the Ministry cut off our fortune?"

"Go on."

"Anyway, I had to find some way to get a place to live. Goodness knows I'd never kept a job before. So I went to Granger—

"Good Merlin."

"—and she forgave me of all my past sins and whatever and said I could live with her. Ginny—

"You call her _Ginny_?"

"—had just moved out, so I didn't have to put up with her crap. I never liked her."

"You like the Granger girl? Oh, Merlin."

"Ginny thinks I should tell Hermione."

"Isn't she with Weasley?"

"Used to be. They broke up a few weeks ago."

"Tell her. I'm absolutely disgusted that you've been a love-sick dolt these past two years!"

"You think I should?"

"Yes, you should! You're an idiot and I want nothing more to do with you in your stupid state. We'll catch up another time."

Theo left, slamming the door. Hermione walked out of the kitchen to see the commotion, and Theo glared at her.

"What?" Hermione exclaimed.

"Your roommate is a dolt," was all he would say before disappearing in the Floo.

"I hope he doesn't come around here anymore," Ginny said from the counter. "His stoic demeanor annoys me." Hermione looked at her friend incredulously.

* * *

_all right! one more chapter and this story is over. again. :) i hope you all review and tell me how much you enjoyed this story! or how much you...didn't...well, i hope you all have enjoyed it so far. just review, please! -LoVeDoNtHaTe_


	10. The Right Time

It took another three hours before Draco came stumbling out of his room, his mind made up. "Hermione?" he called.

"Draco!" Hermione said from the couch. She got up to help him, and he blinked at her blurrily. "Are you okay?"

"I think I might pass out," he said, frowning.

"Come here, on the couch."

"But I'm hungry right now."

"Don't be such a baby and lie down and tell me what's wrong."

"Suddenly very snarky," he bit back, and Hermione rolled her eyes and pushed him onto the couch. She sat on the coffee table across from him and eyed him critically.

"Hermione, I have to tell you something, but I'd rather—

"I've got a hangover potion right here," she said, whipping the vial out of her pocket and handing it to him.

Draco smiled. "So prepared for everything…I have to do it," he muttered to himself. He uncapped the potion and swallowed all the liquid down, making a face before groaning. "Goodness, that's nasty stuff," he said, wincing.

"I know. I've had to taste it more than usual because of Ronald," she said with a sigh.

"Do you have any coffee?"

"Yup! It's in the kitchen."

"Wow, I really wasn't joking when I said you were always prepared," Draco said, half in amazement as he followed her into the kitchen.

"Yeah, Ginny came out and told me that you were drunk," Hermione said, pouring him some coffee.

"What else did she tell you?"

Hermione was a little taken aback by the hardness of his voice. "Nothing. She just kept shrugging."

Draco sighed heavily. "Well, you better sit down. I have something else to tell you."

Hermione frowned and acquiesced. "Don't tell me you're getting married."

Draco scoffed. "To who, exactly?"

"I don't know who."

"Be quiet. I have to say this now before I go mad." Draco closed his eyes to compose himself and looked Hermione in the eye. "Hermione, I…I'm in love with you." He tried to ignore the shock on her face. "I…I got drunk because I was insanely jealous of your ex. I've been in love with you for two years, and it's been so hard living with you and being just your best friend. I…I don't know what else to say," he told her, his usual condescending voice reduced to hesitance.

It was silent for a long minute, and Draco couldn't meet her eyes anymore.

"Are you finished?" Hermione finally asked, and Draco expelled a breath and nodded. Hermione bit her bottom lip. "Draco, I…" She took a deep breath. "It's been a hard two years when we became really close, especially with Ron getting so jealous. I loved Ron, but when he asked me to move in with him, I didn't want to leave you. It was…strange to him, and he got very sensitive after that, and I don't blame him.

"I think…I mean…Merlin, I can't get the words out! You were always there listening to me, being with me, hanging out with me; you tolerated all my friends, my relationship ups and downs; you were just…my best friend. But that night I got drunk, the time before I accidentally took Benzodiazepines, I realised that I could, in fact, imagine us being together because we were such good friends. I mean, it seemed almost _natural_, like us being together wasn't as terrible as Ron made it out to be. I mean, cheating on him would definitely be wrong, but for the first time, I actually could see…well, _us_…dating. So, I guess, to cut myself off before I start ranting—"

"Too late," Draco said with the biggest smile she had ever seen on his face.

"—I…I do like you. But I want to take it slow, you know? Ron said the same thing to me before we started dating. I've liked you for a long time, blah blah blah."

"I'm not Weasley," Draco said, unable to stop smiling.

"I'm really glad you're not," she answered with a bright smile of her own, and Draco picked her up off the chair, squeezing her to him. Hermione wrapped her arms around his neck and laughed. "I never thought I'd live to see the day I'd be going out with Draco Malfoy."

Draco put her on the ground and leant down to kiss her cheek. "I never thought I'd ever go out with you." He planted another kiss on her forehead.

Hermione giggled. "Well, I'm glad both of our 'never's' came to the present."

Draco raised his head to smile. "What fools we were to just assume." And he bent his head down again to kiss her.

The passion of their romance had quieted, and Draco, as he had predicted as a love-sick bachelor, wasn't so intensely affected by his wife all the time. They were too busy taking care of work, themselves, and their two little children, Scorpius and Damaris, to rekindle that spark in their relationship every once in a while.

One night, the night after sending Scorpius to Hogwarts, Hermione was lying on the grassy hill in Scotland, in the middle of Draco and their little daughter. Damaris was asleep, and as Hermione stared at the stars, tears began to come out of her eyes. Draco noticed her silent tears, and he turned to her.

"Why are you crying?" he asked softly, and Hermione sniffed.

"Little Scorpius is already gone," she replied, and Draco smiled and kissed her cheek.

"Yes, he is. He's growing up, Hermione."

"I know." She kissed him, and Draco felt the old spark he'd felt as a younger man kick in again. He pulled away, pressing his lips together, and looked down at his beautiful wife. His heart swelled the longer he looked down at her, and, when he felt like his heart would burst, he smiled down at her. "I love you," he whispered, and leant down to kiss her again.

Hermione smiled against his mouth. "I love you too."

"Mummy, let's go home," Damaris suddenly whined, awake. "I'm sleepy."

The couple got up and Draco held his daughter with one arm, his other arm around his wife. He kissed Hermione's head, closing his eyes briefly as he took in a whiff of her hair. It smelled like shampoo and fresh grass.

"Home we go," he said with a satisfied smile. His wife smiled back.

For as long as he lived, he would never find someone like Hermione Granger ever again.

_finis_


End file.
